VBA and Pride

The third of our articles relating to Manchester Pride.

This week,the Village Business Association comments on their opinions relating to Manchester's Pride event.

The Village Business Association brings together most of the diverse business, commercial and community organisations that serve our LGBT community. Whilst it is a member organisation to which members contribute, the VBA aims to improve Manchester's Gay Village. Residents, business owners, community organisations and Manchester City Council, GMP and Manchester Pride, are all represented and work together to deliver this aim.

VBA members directly contribute to Manchester Pride, recognising the importance of the pillar event in our LGBT calendar.  Paid up members have contributed £39k to last year's event, with many individual venues regularly holding smaller fundraising events throughout the year to add to this contribution.

To clarify, not every business operating within the village is a member of the VBA. The VBA actively encourage their members to make a financial contribution to the running of Manchester Pride. The vast majority of contributions coming from the village area come from VBA members.

Manchester Pride is a key event for local residents in Greater Manchester and beyond, to come together and celebrate in a space that is as unique as it is welcoming. Pride attracts tourists from all over that stay in our hotels and spend their money in our bars, clubs and restaurants. A much needed boost for our village community in these tough operating conditions.

Manchester Pride publicises those businesses that make a contribution to the event on their website, and the VBA would be very happy that users of the village over the Big Weekend voted with their feet to support these businesses rather than to those who do not make a contribution.

The VBA and Manchester Pride have a working relationship with many points of consultation between the two at monthly VBA meetings.  Whilst members can offer advice to Pride organisers, it is recognised that they make their own decisions with regards to site/event management and the weekend programme. Inevitably, we don’t always agree with these decisions, but ultimately they do lie with Manchester Pride.  Whilst we may have an opinion on artists, food concessions, bar concessions, markets, staffing levels, costs, promotions and policing of Manchester Pride, it is only our opinion which we voice during the process of consultation throughout the year. 


We recognise and understand the needs for the fencing to be in place - it is enforced by the legalities of the Licensing Act as well as a condition of the Safety Advisory Group which has representation from a cross section of relevant authorities. The VBA is committed to ensuring the village is a safe place for all and will continue to support the work that community organisations and GMP do to make it a safe a place. Without fencing the event, that safety is jeopardised.  Crime figures over the weekend have continued to fall (Assaults causing actual bodily harm 2001: 7 and in 2012: 0; theft (various) 2001: 30 in 2012 less than 15; wounding with intent 2001: 3 in 2012: 0). This gives us gravity as to why the area should be kept as a secure site, and in doing so, should make it clear to some, where costs like putting on such a large scale event arise.

The 2012 event was not as successful as we would all have hoped. We recognise that some external factors did have an adverse effect, these included the weather (this has been a problem throughout the village for most of the summer). However, this is Manchester and we know it rains but we are glad this did not deflect from Pride’s overriding message. Thousands still lined the streets to turn out for the parade, thousands still attended the vigil and thousands did attend Pride Fringe and The Big Weekend. Manchester Pride did raise over £50,000 for charities that need it. Manchester Pride did go ahead while many other events up and down the country were cancelled.

We hope that Manchester Pride will improve their communications, both to the VBA and its wider stakeholders. By doing so, it will help create a better pride for the many thousands that love attending Manchester each year and for the many diverse venues and users of the village.

DO YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE?PLEASE EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS TO RESPOND@CANAL-ST.CO.UK

Published: 24-Jan-2013: (1720)